On December 4, 1958, Bob Timm and John Cook took off from Las Vegas, Nevada in a Cessna 172. They stayed in the air for 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds, finally landing on February 7, 1959.

During the trip, the plane was constantly refueled in flight and swooped down so that Timm and Cook could grab water and food from a chase car that followed them. In the time that they were airborne, the duo covered a distance that was equivalent to flying six times around the Earth.